Around 200 000 Canadians are homeless each year – for a variety of reasons like losing their house during a fire or flood, losing their jobs, addictions, being kicked out (teenagers), or domestic violence. The stigma that people who are homeless should just get a job and are just lazy needs to end. The organization WE BE US started a fundraiser last year after asking homeless shelters for the item they are most in need of – socks. 20K Sock Day started and the goal wasn’t just to raise socks, but also to raise awareness of homelessness and how we can support and help those in need. Last year they raised 28 000 pairs of socks across Canada. This year they have a new goal – 50 000 pairs of socks.
6A, Miss Friessen’s class, heard of this fundraiser and they decided that our school needed to participate. They chose to donate all the socks we raise, as a school, to Hope Mission in Edmonton – one of the largest homeless shelters in Edmonton and an organization that has many other programs aimed at helping people in need. Our school goal, again chosen by our class, is 750 pairs of socks by February 21.
The socks can be for any age. We would like to encourage the students to bring in NEW pairs of socks, but gently used socks will also be accepted.